The Royal Lesson
by Brynhild GoUrL
Summary: Young Hercules/Roswell crossover. When the golden fleece is stolen Jason gets otherworldly help.***Unfinished***
1. A Storm Is Brewing

Disclaimer: This is a Young Hercules/Roswell crossover. I invented and own Bryn, Gordon, and Zandro. I do not own Liz, Max, Isabel, Tess, Michael, Maria, Hercules, Iolaus, Jason, Auto, Zan, Rath, Ava, Vilandra or anybody/anything from either 'Roswell' or 'Young Hercules'. This story was written for fun, the author is getting no money from it.  
  
Author's note: This happens roughly after 'Max in the City' but before Alex dies in the Roswell world. This happens after the Young Hercules series, after Eurydice's fanfics "Time Switch" and "Switched Again", and after my 'The New Cadet Series'. This story can be read my itself, though it is preferable if you have seen some of 'Roswell' and/or 'Young Hercules'.  
  
* signifies either thinking or emphesis on a certian word.  
  
  
~~~~~ Chapter 1 ~~~~~  
  
  
A woman in a long navy blue dress walked across her cluttered apartment and turned on the radio, which promptly obliged her by pumping out rock music. The tunes used to comfort her, but tonight she had the beginnings of a headache and the music wasn't helping. Suddenly angry for no reason, she grabbed a book off of the many shelves full of books around her apartment, and threw herself down into one of the two big chairs in the small living room. She tried to get into the story, but the usually enjoyable music was driving her insane. Her quick temper flared, and she threw the book at the stereo. As the book flew through the air, she stretched out her hand and an energy bolt sped from it, burning a hole through the book and hitting the stereo, blasting it into smitherines (and blessing silence). Instantly her anger faded and she regreted her rash and violent action. Her hand guestured and the peices of the stereo started floating and mending themselves together and the charred places on the book slowly shrank until they disappeared and the book was whole again. Then the floating book flew through the air to land in it's place on the shelf, and the stereo floated the same way to it's rightful place. Everything was back to normal.   
  
Or was it?   
  
The woman's hand touched her head and she realized that her headache was gone. She suddenly remembered what those headaches meant. "Not again!" she cried, racing to the front door. Opening it and looking out, she expected to see the dark stone walls of her father's temple, but instead there was a regular circa 2001 hotel door with the numbers 288 on it. She looked at her own door and saw the numbers 289 on it. *Wonderful. I've moved again.* She thought to herself.   
  
Hearing a very high pitched noise, she re-entered her apartment and pulled a small wooden chest out from under a chair, and sat in the chair with the box on her lap. Opening the small chest, she reached a hand in and pulled out a green crystal that began to glow the moment she touched it. The noise had also stopped. As she put the chest back on the floor and cradled the crystal in her hands, an image started to appear on the surface of the crystal and she could hear a voice coming from it.   
  
"Hello mother." The girl said to the image on the crystal.   
  
"Greetings Gordon. I noticed that your apartment had dissappeared. Do you know where you are?"   
  
"Haven't a clue." Gordon replied. "But I'll be sure to let you know when I do." Her mother's image smiled. "Thank you dear. I was so nice of Hephestus to make these two pieces of Cronos Stone into a telephone for us. Is Zandro there?"   
  
Gordon felt a presence behind her and turned. There was a man with pale silvery hair that hung to his shoulders, a startling contrast from Gordon's waist long black/blue hair. He looked nineteen, but one glance in his eyes showed that he was hundreds of years old. He was wearing a white cloth shirt and light-tan leather pants. Gordon hadn't heard him approach, but that didn't surprise her. The man had learned a lot about moving quietly after spending years as a ghost. Gordon turned back to the crystal. "Yeah, Zan's here." She felt Zan standing behind her and looking over her shoulder. "Did you want to talk to him?" she asked her mother.   
  
"No, I'm good." The woman in the image replied, Ares' temple in the background. "You two be careful until you find out what dimension you're in. Do you have a cover story for anybody who you come in contact with?"   
  
"Yes, Bryn, we do." Zan answered.   
  
"Then I guess I'd better let you two rest. Have fun."  
  
"Tell father I said hi." Gordon said.   
  
"I'll try, dear, but you know your father. If he's not starting a war then he's blasting Strife across the room. I'll try to see him before he plans to kill Herc again."   
  
"Thanks mom." Gordon replied. Her mother gave a quick wave before the image disappeared. Gordon placed the crystal back in the chest and watched the light from within fade. She looked up to see Zan watching her, a worried frown on his face.   
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" he queried.   
  
Gordon nodded, "I'm sure I'm fine. I'm just getting over the headache that I get everytime we suddenly wind up in another dimension." It was part of my job anyway, she thought ruefully before yawning. "Maybe mom's right, we should get some rest."   
  
Zan smiled and held out his hand. "Come here." She took his hand and in a flash of light they disappeared. A black cat, that some might swear was dark blue when the light touched it right, curled up on the chair where Gordon had been sitting. Where Zan had been, there was a white cat who promptly jumped up on the same chair and curled up next to the other cat, and they both fell asleep.   
  
~~~~~   
  
Dusk was just starting to fall as the last customer left, signaling the end of the business day. A brunette teenage waitress in a pale green dress started clearing away the dishes, the silver balls at the end of her antennae glittering and bouncing as she worked. *Just why did I agree to work in my parents' restaurant again this summer?* she thought as she was cleaning up the last remains of the Men-In-Black-berry pie from the table. This was just one of the many alien-themed tourist traps around in the small town of Roswell, New Mexico, but the family diner, 'The Crashdown', held many pleasant memories for her and her grumbling was only half-hearted. This was where, almost two years ago, she had been shot by accident and Max had healed her.   
  
That was when her life changed forever. When she first learned that Max Evans, his sister Isabel, and his friend Michael were all aliens. Well, mostly. They are all hybrids, half-alien and half-human. Their alien halves were royalty on their home planet, but had been killed so they're cells had been mixed with human cells to 'reincarnate' the royal four. Max, whose name had been Zan in his 'last life', had been the king. Isabel was his sister and Michael was his trusted second. The fourth hybrid, Tess, had been his wife, the queen. Tess had only joined their group last year, just before they had learned about their past lives. The bell above the door of the restaurant rang as a tall teenage boy with short dark hair entered The Crashdown. *Well, speak of the devil* she thought, straightening up to give Max a smile. Max did have the look of a young king, and he had a regal air around him that almost reeked of quiet strength and manners, though she would never tell him that.   
  
"Hey Liz." he greeted her and helped her take the dirty dishes to the kitchen. "How was the dinner rush?"   
  
"Really good, actually." she answered, sticking the dishes in the dishwasher and turning it on. "What did you think of Mr. Larson's class?" Both juniors had several classes together during school, one of which being Mr. Larson's psychology class. Lately he had been teaching about how paranormal beliefs affected the human psyche. Today, and for the next month, they were going to be learning about different folklores and how they symbolized the talents and faults of the cultures that spawned them. This week was 'Greek Mythology Week', and it was interesting to learn how the Greeks had thought up a reason for everything from why winter came every year to why there were echoes.   
  
"If you ask me," The cook, another teenage boy with medium-long brown hair combed back from his face, replied, "I think that the class is a waste of time. Who cares that Hades rules the underworld or that Hera is the queen of the gods?" Michael finished.   
  
"True," interjected the other waitress, also a junior with long wavy blond hair and Liz's best friend, "You could get most of what's taught in the class just by watching an episode of Young Hercules." Maria finished arranging the items on the counter, so she picked up a towel and began to wipe the drinking glassed dry.   
  
Max shot her a quizzical look. "What's 'Young Hercules'?"   
  
Liz shrugged, hiding a guilty smile. "It's an old TV show that went off the air a few years ago. Maria and I used to watch it."   
  
Maria smirked, "Don't forget Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena."   
  
"How come you never told me about this?" Michael, who had an on-again off-again relationship with Maria, leaned through the opening in the wall between the kitchen and the main room. Maria just rolled her eyes.   
  
Max was surprised, "Miss 'I want to become a marine biologist' was a fan of sci-fi shows?" he smiled at Liz.   
  
"Anyway," Liz tried to put the conversation back on track, "The point of the class is to learn about the culture and beliefs of a group of people and how they accounted for the unexplained oddities around them." She noticed Max's smile drop and a troubled look creep onto his face. "Are you okay?" she asked, lightly touching Max's arm.   
  
"Yeah." he said, then looked at her, "Can we talk for a minute?"   
  
Liz nodded and walked with him into the back room of the restaurant, which Nasado used to call 'The I Know an Alien Club Headquarters'. They sat on the couch and Max took a deep breath.   
  
"Everything that's been happening recently has made me realize just how little I know about my planet." he confided to Liz, "I don't know the customs or the culture or if there's a religion or anything. I don't know if Isabel's and my parents are still alive. I don't even know what people look like there, or even what type of atmosphere they breathe." Max started to breakdown, holding his head in his hands. "When Tess and I were in New York, Nickalous offered to take us home in return for the Granolith." The last word he said made Liz stiffen slightly beside him, but he didn't notice. Nor did he notice when Maria entered the room. He looked up at Liz. "What if we get another chance to go back? I don't have the slightest idea how to be a king, much less a good one. What will I do?"   
  
Liz was silent for a moment before she spoke. "Maybe you could talk to someone about kingship."   
  
"Like who?" Max replied, "'Dear Prince of Wales, I hope I'm not bothering you but I'm a king of another planet and I was wondering if you could give me a few pointers about how to be a king.' Yeah, like that would go over well."   
  
Maria took a seat opposite the couch. "You could talk to Madame Vivian."   
  
Max asked, "Who's she?"   
  
"She's a prophet. My mom lives her whole life based on her advice."   
  
Michael entered the room in time to hear Maria's last words. "Probably a con."   
  
Maria shook her head, "She's the real deal."   
  
Liz agreed, "Everything that she told me was true." Several months ago she had gone with Maria and their other human friend, Alex, to have their fortunes read. That was right before Max, a version from the future, had used the power of the Granolith to come back in time and help Liz make the present Max fall out of love with her or else the world would end. So she had made it appear as though she had slept with Kyle (the sheriff's son and Liz's ex-boyfriend) even though she hadn't.   
  
"You went to a psychic?" Max asked Liz. She was usually the epitome of a scientist and it surprised him to think that she would put any faith in that sort of thing. But he trusted her as a friend, and if she thought that a visit might do good, then he would try it.   
  
~~~~~~   
  
A young man with dark hair was sitting in an inn, nursing a mug of water. The plan was to reach Corinth by nightfall, scout out the castle, snag the item, and get back out as quickly as possible. The customer, after all, was waiting. Autolycus grimaced as he thought of his most recent business deal. The guy who's pitch he had decided to accept had given him the creeps, but a job was a job, and right now his money pouch was depressingly light.   
  
He had thought that the job would be simple: Just grab this 'Golden Fleece' that the guy wanted and then walk away with the promised 500 dinars. But that was after the deal was settled and before he learned that the fleece was inside the king of Corinth's castle. Auto sighed and drained the mug, then signaled to the barmaid for another. Maybe he was over-reacting. The new king was after all only a boy, and more than likely had no idea how to properly guard his castle. Besides, he had been in that castle before, albeit a few years ago, and knew the locations of several secret passageways that would make the theft a piece of cake.   
  
Three hours later saw the sun setting behind the castle, banners still dancing in the wind. Auto had staked out a small spot in shadows where he could watch the guards without detection. What seemed like an eternity passed as he noted the placement of the guards and how often they changed. Finally, he stood up just as the guards on this part of the wall left. He only had five minutes to get to the other side before the next guard walked by. Plucking his grappling hook out of his back pocket, he deftly tossed it over the wall and, quick as one of Zeus' lightning bolts, climbed the rope and dropped down onto the other side of the wall and went into the castle.   



	2. Crystal Ball

  
The sign had a human's palm made out of neon light. Nice he thought, slightly amused. He was still wondering what might have possessed Liz to recommend him here when he knocked on the door.   
  
A woman with long frizzy brown hair and a silver necklace greeted him. "I am Madam Vivian. What can I do for you?" she asked.   
  
"I've come to have my fortune read." Max replied.  
  
"Come in, Come in." the woman said, moving from the doorway to let Max enter. She led him into a back room with a circular table in the center and two chairs on opposite sides of the table. In the center there was a small holder, for a crystal ball Max supposed. He sat in one seat and Madame Vivian sat in the other chair after dimming the lights slightly.   
  
Max watched silently as the woman reverently took out a spherical object covered in a dark-colored velvet cloth. She pulled off the cloth and placed a transparent crystal ball in the small stand on the table. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began murmuring in a strange language. Her hands began to move over the crystal, never touching it, but just drifting. Max was about to roll his eyes when he noticed something. The crystal ball wasn't clear anymore. What looked like smoke wisps were floating around inside it. Must be some sort of trick he thought, but watched more closely now. As the smoke thickened, he thought he could almost see a picture of a dark-haired man wearing green with some sort of gold rug rolled up under his arm, swinging by a rope from tree to tree away from a city. He could've sworn that he heard a small voice call "Yodeleheehoooooooooooooooooooooooo!"   
  
Before he could ask the woman about it, the image faded and another appeared. Two men fighting, one short with curly blond hair and brown leather pants, the other tall with very short dark hair and black leather pants, neither man wearing a shirt. Instead of fierce expressions on their faces, Max was surprised to see both men smiling and talking as they fought with long wooden staffs. He looked at the woman and jumped when her eyes snapped open and her gaze was glued to the crystal. He almost didn't catch her voice, it was so soft.   
  
"A storm is brewing."   
  
~~~~~~   
  
"Come on, Jase. You can get more than a week off from your kingly duties, can't you?" Iolaus said as he tried an over head chop at the King of Corinth's head with a practice staff.   
  
Jason promptly blocked Iolaus' attack and made a swipe towards Iolaus' unprotected stomach, but the ex-thief brought down his staff and blocked it. Jason quickly reversed his blow, turning in an 360 degree circle to hit Iolaus' knees, but Iolaus anticipated than and did a flip over Jason's head and landed behind him. Their staffs met again and Jason replied, "I was lucky to get a week off. I thought it would be fun to be king, but now there's less time to even see you and Herc, much less go on adventures like we used to."  
  
~~~~~   
  
That night Jason lay awake in his old cot, going over in his mind the events of the day. He remembered what he had said to Iolaus during training, and was shocked to realize how depressing he had sounded. When had he forgotten how much his people needed him, or the horrors that had befallen them during the brief time that Ares had been on the throne while Jason, Herc, and Iolaus searched for the golden fleece. Thank the gods that that quest had been successful... it had been the first piece of proof that Jason was able to rule as a good king, young though he was.   
  
"KING JASON! KING JASON!" a male voice rang out through the academy dorm.   
  
Jason jumped out of his cot and was nearly knocked off his feet by the youth that was barreling through the hallways in Corinthian colors. The messenger skidded to a stop and gasped as he tried to catch his breath, "The... *gasp* Golden Fleece... *gasp* it's been... *gasp* stolen!"   
  
Jason's eyes widened. If this was true, then his kingdom was in danger. He knew that any of the surrounding kingdoms might attack at any time, but the fleece and the knowledge of what Jason had been through to get it kept the peace. But letting the fleece get stolen would be just the provocation another king might need to declare war. Afraid to delay for a moment, Jason hastily scribbled out a letter for his friends and left it on his cot. "Come on." He told the messenger, "You can tell me the rest on the way back to Corinth."  
  
~~~~~~   
  
*This is strange* Vivian thought to herself. *I've rarely had a reading so clear. What do these pictures mean?* She continued watching. The crystal only showed the two boys fighting for a moment, now the image was fading. Vivian sighed as the crystal began to dim. She had really hoped for more explanation. Suddenly, white symbols began scrolling across the surface of the crystal. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and began scribbling out the symbols. When the crystal finally dimmed, she noticed that she had a paragraph full of Greek letters.   
  
ðñüäùóá áðü þñá êáé äéÜóôçìá ÝÍÁS   
áíáæÞôçóç ãéá âïÞèåéá ôþñá ðáßñíù ãëþóóá   
Åìåßs ãíùñßæù ü÷é ðùs, åìåßs ãíùñßæù ü÷é   
ðïéüs ìüíï ðñÜãìá åìåßs ìðïñþ ôþñá êÜíù   
æçôþ íá äù âïçèÜù ãéá Ýíás âáóéëéÜs óå   
óôÝëíù Êáé Ýíás âïÞèåéá ÷Ýñé äáíåßæù   
Âñßóêù ÷ñõóüs ôï óêÜù åîáéñåôéêüò   
ÄéáìÝóïõ çëéêßá êáé äéáóôÜóåéò óôáõñüò   
ïõñÜ óõëëáâßæù êáé áðïôÝëåóìá âëÝðù   
Ðñéí ôÝëïs, áõôü íá åßìáé!   
  
  
Sirel was the first person she thought of. The woman had been a whiz at anything Greek, and Vivian was sure that she would help this boy out. "Here." She said, giving the sheet of Greek words to the boy.   
  
"What is this?" he asked.   
  
Vivian sighed, "I don't know. But I know someone who will." She took another sheet of paper and wrote down the last address for Sirel. "Here. This should be her address. She'll be able to help you."   
  
Sirel  
Regency Apartments  
4521 Oak Tree Ave. Apt # 289  
  
~~~~~  
  
*Two eighty-three...two eighty-five...two eighty-seven...* Max counted silently as he walked down the hallway of the apartment building, *Ah. Two eighty-nine.* Taking a deep breath, he knocked thrice on the door.   
  
~~~~~  
  
What will happen now? What do the greek words mean? Will Sirel even be there? Will Max's hand hurt from knocking? Will Iolaus open the door? Will Hera open the door? Are Max's shoelaces tied together? Will Corinth be destroyed? Will Auto get rope burn?   
  
Find out what happens on the (maybe) exciting next part! (I warned you I suck at cliff-hangers)  
  
Bryn GoUrL  
Amazon of Inane Questions 


	3. Totally Uneccesary Details

A tall teenage male poked his head around the corner, a few strands of shaggy blond hair falling into his eyes. No candles had been lit yet, as he wanted to surprise the guy sleeping. "It's clear." He whispered, and began to tiptoe around the corner.   
  
Another cadet, shorter with curly blond hair followed. "It's not like Jason to sleep in." Iolaus whispered.   
  
Hercules shrugged, "Give Jase a break. With a kingdom to run, sleeping in this late must be a rare luxury." Both boys approached the cot with caution, and it was so dark that they had to be careful not to trip over anything. Stopping a few feet away from the bed, they both shouted, "SURPRISE, JASON!" and began to laugh. Their laughter quickly died down as they noticed that no reaction had issued from the cot. Iolaus lit the candles nearby and revealed that the only occupant the cot had was a lonely piece of paper. Fearing that perhaps Ares had kidnapped the king of Corinth or some other such dastardly deed had been done, Hercules snatched it from the bed and began to read aloud:   
  
~~~   
  
To Hercules and Iolaus;  
I'm sorry to have to cut my vacation  
short, but I just received terrible news  
from Corinth. I must return immediately  
to try and handle the situation.  
  
  
Jason  
King of Corinth  
  
  
~~~   
  
Sometimes Iolaus could almost read Herc's mind. This seemed like one of those times. "Did you want to walk or borrow Academy horses?" he asked his best friend.   
  
Hercules thought aloud, "It must have been big for him to leave right away."  
  
"And if it's so big, then he might need help." Iolaus prompted.   
  
"If he needs help, we should get there as fast as possible." Hercules continued.   
  
"If we need to get there fast, we should probably borrow Academy horses." Iolaus prompted again. "So you go and clear it with Cheiron, and I'll get the horses ready."   
  
~~~~~   
  
*Two eighty-three...two eighty-five...two eighty-seven...* Max counted silently as he walked down the hallway of the apartment building, *Ah. Two eighty-nine.* Taking a deep breath, he knocked thrice on the door.   
  
Max didn't have long to wait before the door opened a crack and a girl looked at him through the slit. One dark blue eye regarding him, half-hidden under strands of blue and black hair obscuring her face. "Yeah?" she asked, and from the sound of her voice and what he could see of her, he guessed she was only about eighteen.   
  
Confused, he glanced down at the sheet in his hand. *Sirel...Apt. # 289...* *This is the woman that Madame Vivan sent me to?* A silence stretched out between the two as they each waited for the other to speak. Finally the girl lifted her eyebrow in an annoyed expression and shook her head slightly as if to say, 'Well?'   
  
Max said, "I'm sorry to bother you. I am looking Sirel."   
  
~~~~~   
  
"You found her," Gordon replied, opening the door wide enough that the boy could see her face. "I'm Gordon Sirel, Greek Extraordinare. How can I help you?" *where have I seen his face before?* she wondered.   
  
"She said you could help me with finding out what spell-" the boy was going to continue but she cut him off. *the word 'spell' should have tipped me off. Time for cover story #12. The one I heard every time mom gets hassled by the young men*   
  
~~~~~   
  
The girl's voice took on an air of authority. "Look, I told you kids that I'm not doing them anymore. I don't care how much money you have or how tragic the situation is, the answer is no."   
  
"What are you talking about?" Max was starting to doubt the wiseness of his trip, but he was here now so he mineswell find out what was going on.   
  
"You want me to cast a love spell, right?" Gordon accused, "Sorry. I'm not making them anymore. So just get over the girl 'cause she's never gonna fall for you." She started to close the door but he stuck his foot in the way.   
  
"It's not like that..." he started to explain.   
  
"Fine." Gordon rolled her eyes, "*He* is never going to fall for you. Happy?" She tried to force the door closed.   
  
"No." he said, "I didn't come here for a love spell."   
  
The girl's eyes widened in surprise, "You didn't?" Suspicion filled her features, "Then what did you come here for?"   
  
"Madame Vivian recommended you."   
  
~~~~~   
  
Gordon froze as she realized who the boy standing in front of her was. Before she had learned about her godhood, before she had accidentally traveled to the past and learned who her parents were, she had been an avid fan of the TV show 'Roswell'. How could she have not recognized him? Another thought exploded in her mind. She had a bunch of the Roswell book series on her shelf! If he should find them... Gordon quickly got rid of that danger by teleporting those books to her bedroom. Then she smiled as she opened the door wide. "Vivian sent you? Well why didn't you say so in the first place? Come in, come in. Me casa est su casa and all that stuff."   
  
~~~~~   
  
The door opened, revealing a tall girl in a dark blue shirt and black jeans. She had long black and blue hair that reached to her waist and he guessed she was about eighteen. Yet, despite her youth, there was something in her countenance to suggest that she had lived a very, very long time. As Max walked into the apartment, he took a look around. There were a few framed paintings on the wall... he recognized "Echo and Narcissus" by John William Waterhouse and "Ophelia" by Arthur from the European catalogs his mother got in the mail. On the walls was a cloud wallpaper, but unlike anything he had ever seen. The 'sky' was a soft cerulean and the clouds were navy blue, edged in light lavender. But the walls could hardly be seen since there were so many shelves all over the room crammed full of books and small sculptures. There was a large overstuffed old brown leather couch and two matching chairs, one of the chairs having a round white fur pillow. The girl motioned to the furniture, "Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? Would you like water, juice, coffee, or maybe a soda? I just got some cherry coke this morning."   
  
"Um, a cherry coke sounds good."   
  
"Cherry coke it is. I'll be right back. Make yourself at home." The girl smiled and disappeared into an adjacent room. Max wandered over to one of the bookshelves and let his gaze flow across the authors.   
  
_...Piers Anthony...Anne McCaffery...Bruce Coville...Annette Curtis Klause..._ There were also many books on Greek myths, wicca, vampires, dream interpreting, mermaids, dragons, cats, and various other subjects, all arranged in sections. Max smiled a bit when he got to the alien section, noting Atherton's "Among Us" on the shelf. That was funny... there was an empty section on the shelf, like someone had removed several books and had not put them back. He quickly cast his gaze around at the other bookshelves, but there was no other similar empty space. Strange.   
  
Max plucked Atherton's book off the shelf and flipped through to the back cover flap, where there was a picture of Atherton standing in front of a geodesic dome. It was the same geodesic dome that Michael had dreams about last year, the dome that he, Michael, Isabel, Maria, and Liz had broken into last year as well. Thinking of Liz brought back the dull pain, and he put the book back on the shelf. It had been over a month since he had walked in on her and Kyle in bed together, but the pain of her betrayal still hurt. It had started to go away, as he got used to seeing her. He had thought he might have been over the pain in New York, but then he saw her and she saved his life... and things were complicated after that. They were 'friends' now, but the pain still ached whenever he thought of her.   
  
Trying to change his train of thought, Max examined the small objects on the shelves. There was a small clay bowl with a greek box design around the center that was filled with various semi-precious stones, a few of them the kind that had words engraved on them. There were a sculpture of a man and woman embracing on a rock, little gargoyles here and there, and several egyptian and greek related statues.   
  
Just then the girl came back in the room. "You like sci-fi and fantasy stuff?" she asked, handing him the can of soda and then sitting in the chair without the fur pillow.   
  
"A little." he replied. _I bet my life qualifies as sci-fi_ he thought.   
  
He headed over to the other chair and was about to sit when the girl said, "Watch out for Zan."   
  
Zan. That was the name Ava had called his duplicate. His own name in his previous life. Wondering weather it was just a coincidence, Max looked around the room for this 'Zan', but there was no one else in the room. He shot her a curious look, and she gestured towards the chair. He looked down in time to see the white pillow start to move. Startled, he froze, and then relaxed as the white mound of fur revealed itself to be a cat.   
  
"Come, Zandro." the girl spoke, motioning to the feline. Zan slowly got to his feet and looked at Max for a moment before jumping down from the chair, only to jump onto the girl's lap and curl up as she stroked his fur.   
  
Max took the now vacated seat, opened the can of soda, and took a long swallow. This visit was getting creepier and creepier. "So," he said, "Where'd you come up with the name Zan?"   
  
*Tell him the cover story* Zan mindspoke to her. *I have a feeling that he wouldn't believe that I'm a demigod. Not yet, anyway.*   
  
"Oh," she lied, rubbing the cat behind his ears to let Zan know she heard him, "I got it from a Katherine Kerr book. His name is Zandro but I call him Zan."  
  
"Ah." Max replied.  
  
~~~~~   
  
Jason was sitting in his throne, trying desperately not to put his face in his hands and breakdown. The reports were still coming in, but they were all the same. Nothing. Every lead had been checked. Nothing. None of the guards had known that the fleece was gone until it was too late, and no suspicious people had been lurking around. He had been lucky in the fact that as soon as his trusted advisor, Ophistus, had learned of the disappearance, he had tightened security. After sending the messenger to Jason, he had not let another murmur about it leave the castle. Jason was thankful, for if even a rumor about the fleece's theft had leaked out, he was sure that he would already have a war declaration from an outside kingdom. Just then the doors to the throne room opened and Hercules and Iolaus walked in. Jason managed a weak smile for them and waved everyone else from the room.   
  
Once the doors closed, Jason asked, "What are you guys doing here?"  
  
Iolaus smiled in return, "We thought that you might need help with whatever mysterious yet deeply important situation threatened your kingdom." Herc also smiled at his choice of words. "That is, of course, if you care to tell us what the situation is."   
  
Jason thought briefly about sending his friends away, but thought better of it. Many of the things that had happened since he knew Hercules had happened because of Ares, Discord, or Strife's meddling. Having Hercules around could be a valuable asset. Plus, Hercules always had a plan, and could be depended on to figure out this mess. And then there was the fact that both Iolaus and Hercules had been with him when he got the Golden Fleece, so they deserved to know what happened. "The Golden Fleece was stolen."  
  
The smiled on Iolaus' and Hercules' faces dropped and they stared at Jason. "The Golden Fleece?" Iolaus repeated. "As in the golden fleece that heals all wounds? The golden fleece that Herc had to defeat a giant to get? That golden fleece?" Jason nodded morosely.   
  
"When did this happen?" Hercules asked quietly.   
  
Jason sighed, "The Guards discovered it missing last night."   
  
"Do you have any leads?" Iolaus said.   
  
"None that sound promising." Jason replied. He wasn't sure how to ask his friends for help. Luckily, Hercules caught on.   
  
"Well, I guess that leaves Iolaus and I to look for clues." Herc said, smiling to try and lighten the mood.  
  
Jason looked at them, a genuine hopeful smile touching his mouth. "Thanks, you guys."  
  
"No prob." Iolaus shrugged. "Come on Herc. We'd better start investigating before the trail gets cold."  
  
~~~~~   
  
"So," Gordon said after she had sipped her soda, "How can I help you? It must be something big for Vivian to send you to me."   
  
Max pulled the paper with the greek letters from his pocket and held it out to her. "She was reading my fortune in a crystal ball and she saw this." Gordon leaned forward and took the paper, unfolded it, and read it, stroking the cat absently. "What does it say?" Max asked, curious.   
  
She looked up, and dark blue eyes pierced him as she considered him for a moment. Max met her gaze and stared back, and she finally blinked and smiled. "This is a very powerful spell, designed to alter time and space in order for an exchange of beings." She tilted her head and watched him. "It seems that both yourself and someone else need you to travel soon... Your Highness."   
  
Max stared at her. "How do you know that? Who are you?"   
  
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gordon," the girl replied, "Goddess of Involuntary Transportation."   
  
~~~~~  
  
I hope that you guys enjoyed the detail, long though the post was. Nope, no inane questions this time. I appriciate you guys just getting all the way to the end :)  
  
Bryn  
Goddess of Unrequited Love  



	4. Explanation

Max stared at her, and slowly repeated, "Goddess of…"  
  
"…Involuntary Transportation" she finished for him.   
  
"You can't be a goddess." Max said, shaking his head. "If you were, you'd be living in a temple with worshippers at your feet. What kind of goddess would live in an…" his arm made a sweeping motion to encompass the room, "…an apartment?"  
  
"A fallen goddess." Gordon replied. "The days when Zeus ruled the heavens are long over and most of the gods are dead, but those of us lesser deities that are still around muck out a living as best we can, pretending to be mortals. My father and my uncle do the same, though I don't know if they are in this dimention."  
  
"But don't you disappear when no one's around to worship you anymore?" he thought aloud.  
  
"You'd be surprised." She smiled sadly. "There are still a few who follow the old ways and seek guidance from us, but they are few and far between. Our power grows weaker in this land where science and machinery and a variety of religions rule. Most of the gods that weren't killed, faded away as they lost power and now are barely more than wisps of energy. Us lesser deities had fewer worshippers than the greater gods, and therefore were less affected when our followers left us. And many, like myself, were devoted to certain aspects of mortal life that still exist today. Writers still thank the muses for inspiration, Echo still haunts caves, and I still guard involuntary transportation."  
  
"What is involuntary transportation?" Max asked. "What do you do?"  
  
"Involuntary Transportation is the exchange of animate and/or inanimate substances from one time continuum to another or from one parallel universe to another simultaneously, and without the substance's permission or knowledge." She replied smiling "It's a mouthful, but it saves a ton in legal hassles." She handed the paper with the symbols back to Max. "And if you want that spell to work, I'm the one you need."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Iolaus and Hercules went through the castle with a fine toothed comb. They quizzed suspects and interviewed the guards, but still there was nothing. Now Iolaus, Jason, and Hercules were sitting in the throne room, trying to decide what to do next.  
  
"The guy was just too good." Iolaus admitted. "He covered his tracks."  
  
"We have to find out who did this!" Jason exclaimed. "But how?"  
  
"Maybe there's someone who could help." Hercules suggested.  
  
"But nobody saw anything." Jason replied. "Who could help?"  
  
~~~~~  
  
It was almost twilight when Max pushed open the door of the Crashdown Cafe, his mind a scramble of thoughts. Hoping that talking about this crazy evening to Liz might help, he was surprised to see all his friends gathered in the restaurant. Michael had been pacing but stopped when he caught sight of Max; Alex, Isabel, Tess, and Kyle were seated in one of the booths, Maria was standing in front of the counter and Liz was behind it, both in their waitress uniforms. All seven of them were staring at him.  
  
"Where have you been?!?" Michael accused.  
  
"Huh?" Max said.  
  
"It's Saturday night." Alex explained. "We always meet here on Saturday night to discuss stuff." He placed emphases on the last word.  
  
"Sorry I'm late. It slipped my mind." Max replied lamely.  
  
"'Slipped your mind'?" Michael exclaimed. "What were you doing that caused you to forget?"  
  
Maria smiled, "Did you see Madam Vivian?"  
  
Tess frowned, "Who's Madame Vivian?"  
  
"A nutcase con artist that Maria recommended." Michael mentioned.  
  
"She is not!" Maria exclaimed.  
  
Max grabbed an empty chair and sat down backwards in it, facing the group. He had left Gordon's apartment shortly after she had told him about her job, but she had given him a warning, 'Time to choose is growing short, you must decide soon if you are going to use this spell. But be careful in your decision; Spells are tricky things. No matter what the reason is for casting one, they often use unthoughtof means to achieve it.' Max took a deep breath. "There's something I have to tell you guys. I did go see Madame Vivian."  
  
"And?" Isabel prompted.  
  
"And she gave me this," He pulled out the sheet of paper with the greek spell on it and gave it to her to look at and pass around, "and the address of a woman who could decipher it. A Gordon Sirel. She said that it was a spell 'designed to alter time and space in order for an exchange of beings'. She also said…" Max paused, waiting to see the expressions on his friends' faces, "…She said that she was the Goddess of Involuntary Transportation."  
  
"A goddess? Come on." Michael scoffed, "She's obviously a psycho."  
  
"No." Max shook his head, "She knew things." His voice lowered, even though everybody in the room needed to hear this. "She knew I was a king." Michael's eyes widened.  
  
"If she knows you're an alien, she could be another skin." Tess warned.  
  
"Wait." Alex interrupted Tess, but looked at Max, "You said that she knew you were a king. You didn't say anything about her knowing you were an alien."  
  
"You'd better tell us everything that happened." Liz said.  
  
Max explained everything that had happened, excluding the mix-up at the door and the cat with his name. "She said that I had to decide soon whether to use this spell or not." He concluded.  
  
"You can't really be thinking about doing this?" Michael exclaimed. "The woman's a fruitcake. Remember Topolsky?"  
  
"Do you remember Topolsky?" Liz demanded. "We voted then and decided not to go, when we should have gone."  
  
"So what now?" Maria said. "We vote?"  
  
Max looked around at all his friends, then nodded slowly. "We vote." The paper with the Greek spell had been passed back to him. He looked at it, "I'm for it. I have to find out what this means."  
  
"No way." Michael said venomously. "I'm against. We don't know who we're dealing with."  
  
Tess interrupted, "But that's just it, Michael. We have to go, if only to find out who she is, and exactly what she knows." She smiled at Max, "I'm for it."  
  
Liz sighed softly, "I agree with Tess."  
  
"I can see how much this means to you." Isabel said to her brother. "I'm with you."  
  
"I don't know." Alex shook his head. "It sounds dangerous, but Liz is right. We did mess up on the Topolsky thing. But then again,. It could be a trap."  
  
"What if…" Maria interjected, "What if we all go, and be careful? Surely this Gordon women wouldn't pull anything with all eight of us there."  
  
Kyle shrugged, "I'm in."  
  
"If we're all going," Alex said, "Count me in too."  
  
All eyes turned to Michael. "Alright. We'll go. But at the first sign of anything wrong, we're out of there. Got it?"  
  
Max nodded. "So when are we going to go?" Kyle asked.  
  
Max shrugged, "Anybody busy tomorrow night?"  
  
~~~~  
  
"What if…" Iolaus murmured, lost in thought.  
  
"'What if' what?" Jason queried, desperate for an idea.  
  
Iolaus shook his head, "Nothing."  
  
"Spit it out." Hercules said.  
  
"Well," Iolaus started, "Remember when Hercules and that guy who looked like him, Sean, changed places?"  
  
Hercules and Jason nodded.  
  
Iolaus continued, "The first time it was Mimma who had switched you, and the second time she was able to send me and Eurydice to the future."  
  
"So?" Hercules questioned.  
  
"So," Iolaus finished, "What if Mimma could make a spell to get help to find the fleece?"  
  
The three friends were silent for a long time, and then Hercules broke the silence. "You know, that just might work."  
  
Iolaus jumped from his seat, "What are we waiting for? Let's go back see if Mimma will help?"  
  
"Iolaus," Jason replied, his hopes high for the first time since hearing about the theft, "The sun has already set. It would be better if we get a good night's sleep and head for the Academy in the morning."  
  
"Until morning, then." Hercules said.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Will Mimma be able to help? Will the heroes find the golden fleece in time? Will Auto make an appearence in the next chapter? Will the spell work? Will the sun ever rise while they are talking? Does Ares have anything to do with the theft? Will I ever stop writing these questions and start writing the next chapter?  
  
Bryn  
Goddess of Unrequited Love  
Amazon of Inane Questions  



End file.
